Twenty Five Dollars An Hour
by RedAsARose
Summary: Sequel to Fifteen Dollars An Hour...Connor and Kira are finally together when they get another call to baby-sit, and more chaos ensues.
1. Chapter 1: Connor

**CHAPTER ONE: CONNOR**

_Ding Dong._

_How did I get here again?_ Connor thought to himself. _Oh yeah..._

* * *

"Whoa."

"Dude! The school library? _Nice._"

"Uh," Connor stuttered, as Kira suddenly found the carpet on the floor to be very interesting.

"Seriously?!" Nate exclaimed.

"Mr. Jackson!" said a sharp voice from behind Nate and Marty, causing them all to jump. The head librarian was standing there with a stern look on her face.

_Thank you god! I have never been so happy to get in trouble by a librarian before!_

"You are in the _library_! And now I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave so you don't continue to bother the other students!"

Connor looked around and counted three other people in the library, all of whom seemed to be more interested in watching a jock get yelled at than doing their schoolwork.

"My apologies Mrs. Barry," Nate said politely. He threw his arm around Connor's shoulder. "It's just that my buddy McKnight here stirred things up a bit in here today and I got over excited." He pushed Marty, Connor, and Kira towards the main entrance. "Won't happen again. Thanks for your understanding!"

Once they got into the hallway, Nate and Marty just stared at Connor and Kira.

_Oh great. What are they planning?_

Kira started beside him, and Marty snorted. Kira glared at her.

"What?" Marty said defensively as Kira pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Your face just now was great. What, did the phone bite you or something?"

"Wow Marty," Nate said sarcastically. "Great way to cover it up."

"Oh shut up," Marty rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. "You want to laugh too."

"Oh brother," Kira muttered as she flipped her phone open and she and Connor followed Nate and Marty down the deserted hallway. "Hello? Oh, hey Uncle C." Connor stopped short in front of her and she ran into him. "What? Oh yeah, yeah I'm good. How are you?" She pushed past Connor. "That's good. So what's up?"

_Uncle C? Oh no. This better not be another baby-sitting job. Although…maybe if we could get them to bed early enough..._

"This Friday?" Kira was saying. "Nope. I'm free." She suddenly stopped and it was Connor's turn to run into her. "Connor? Uh…I dunno…"

"Dunno what?" Connor asked the top of her head, as neither of them was willing to move away from the other.

"You want to make twenty five dollars an hour baby-sitting on Friday?"

"Twenty five? Why the bump up?"

"It's all night."

Connor paused. "Define 'all night'."

"Friday at six until Saturday morning about ten. So you in?" she said quickly.

Connor stared at her. "Are you _trying_ to kill me?" he finally blurted out.

"Cormac wants you," Kira hissed back at him. "You in or not?"

"Oh I don't know," Connor ran a hand through his hair. Then he got an idea and arched an eyebrow at her. "All night, huh?"

"Down boy. Ethan's coming too," Kira said rolling her eyes.

_Well there goes that idea._

"Oh. How come?"

"Because it's all night!" she said exasperatedly. "So yes or no?"

"Yes! Alright? Geez…"

"We'll be there," Kira said into the phone. "Ok bye." She was about to say something to Connor when Elsa walked around the corner. "Principal Randall!" she said surprised.

"Kira," she replied, nodding her head casually at the small group. "Connor, Nate, Marty. Hall passes please?"

* * *

_This is ridiculous. Why the hell am I doing this?!_

He heard the pounding of feet inside the house and a high pitched voice called out "Kiraaaaaaa!"

_Oh yeah. That's why_. His thoughts shifted to the girl standing next to him. He could see the corner of her mouth twitch up in a smile as the door opened and Cora jumped into her arms.

"Well hello Ms. Coral," Ethan said importantly from behind Connor and Kira.

"Ethan!" Cora practically screamed. She went to hug him too, but pulled away. "Hey!" she said pouting. "I'm not a coral!"

"Yeah Ethan," Kira pointed out. "How can you forget that she's seaweed, not coral!"

"Hey!" Cora said again, but giggling this time. "I am not!" She then saw Connor standing there. "Hi Lumpy!"

_Remember McKnight, you're doing it for Kira.  
You're doing it for Kira.  
You're doing it for Kira.  
You're doing it for Kira…_


	2. Chapter 2: Kira

**CHAPTER TWO: KIRA**

ANGEL GROVE  
FEBRUARY 13 2004  
5:55 PM

Kira's mouth twitched into a smile as the front door opened and Cora jumped into her arms.

_Aw geez. It's only been a week. How can she possibly miss me that much?_

"Well hello Ms. Coral," Ethan said from behind her.

Cora screamed and jumped at him. "Ethan! Hey…I'm not a coral!"

"Yeah Ethan. How can you forget that she's seaweed, not coral."

"Hey!" Cora said giggling. "I am not!" she saw Connor then. "Hi Lumpy!"

Kira couldn't help but giggle at the look on Connor's face.

_Aww that is too cute!_

"Cormac's in the backyard waiting for you!" Cora said excitedly while pulling on Connor's hand and trying to drag him through the house.

Kira shrugged at Ethan who was slightly confused and asked "Lumpy?"

* * *

"And you know where the emergency numbers are?"

"Yes."

"And our numbers?"

"Uh huh."

"And the restaurant phone number?"

"Yeah."

"And the hotel's?"

"Yep."

"And most importantly…the take out?"

"You bet'cha."

"Alright I think we're good to go."

"Uh, Uncle C?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Do you have our numbers?"

"Huh? Uh, no. Good thinking Kira."

"I think so." Kira rattled off Connor and Ethan's numbers and then her own so Uncle C could save them to his phone.

"Alright," he said again. "Now we're good to go. And remember, you can always call Cory if the overnight thing is too much for you guys."

"Dad's out of town on business this weekend," Kira explained. "But he sends his regards to Kim."

"His _regards_. I swear that man gets stiffer with his birthday regards each year."

"At least he _remembers_ birthdays," Kira teased him.

"That was one time. Sheesh," he said dramatically. "Anyhow, where's my wife?"

"She lost an earring so she's frantically searching for another pair that will match both her purse and her new shoes," Kira explained, rolling her eyes.

"Girls," Uncle C muttered.

"No kidding," Kira agreed. "So, Uncle C," she said, quickly changing the subject. "What's this big surprise you have planned for Kim's birthday?"

He peeked around the corner to see that no one was coming.

"It's a surprise party," he said excitedly. "She's always talking about how she wants her high school team to have a reunion, so I called her best friend and we planned for everyone to be there for her birthday. Then since everyone's in town, we're having that barbeque tomorrow, which she knows about. She just doesn't know who's all coming to it," he finished, seeming proud of himself.

"I'm impressed," Kira said approvingly. "So, how long do you think she'll cry for after you all yell surprise?"

He pulled a sheet of paper out of his jacket pocket. "I'm betting four minutes," he said, running his finger down a list of names.

"You guys _bet_ on it?!"

"Yeah. Why? You want in?"

Kira shook her head as they heard Aunt K's heels clomping down the stairs.

"Alright, get outta here," Kira said, playfully shoving her uncle out of the kitchen.

"That anxious to get rid of us, huh? Just remember, I want you all to act accordingly."

"Colin," Aunt K told him patiently. "The kids are in the backyard."

"I wasn't talking about _those_ kids," Uncle C explained, smiling at her. "Kira, please demonstrate appropriate baby-sitter behavior."

"Come again?"

"No hanky panky," Aunt K spoke up.

"Gaah!" Kira said, only half amused and gently pushing them out the door.

"Don't get me wrong dear, Connor _is_ unbelievably cute-"

"Hey," Uncle C interrupted. "Watch it there."

"But we're not all that anxious for our kids to be teenagers just yet," Aunt K continued on.

"Ok ok I got it. Goodbye!" Kira called after them from the doorway.

"It's only because we love you!" Uncle C yelled back before Kira swung the door shut on them.

_Yeah yeah yeah. More like it's only because you want to embarrass me. That's the last time I tell Aunt K about my personal life._

She turned around and slumped against the closed door, only to find Connor standing across the hall from her, leaning against a door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.

_Damn he looks hot like that._

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied. "I'm just looking."

Before Kira could reply, or rush up to him throw her arms around his neck and kiss him like there's no tomorrow, Cormac came running down the hall, signing like crazy.

_Ugh. Not now Cormac! What is with these children?! It's like they plan it or something!_

"Oh great," Connor muttered. "What does he want now?"

"A rematch," Kira translated. "He says you cheated and it's not possible for anyone to run that fast without-" she broke off when she realized what Cormac was saying. "Wait a minute." She turned to Connor. "How fast were you going?"

"Calm down. It wasn't _that_ kind of fast," he said as Cormac dragged him away.

"Uh huh."

"Uh huh. Now if you'll excuse me," he called from down the hall. "I need to go get beat up by a nine year old."

_Alrighty then._

But just then, Connor came back into view, followed by Cormac. "Hang on, you know what he's saying?"

"What who's saying?" Kira asked confused.

"Cormac. You know sign language?"

"Oh. Yeah. You didn't know that?"

"Did you know it last Friday?"

_No Connor, I just learned an entire language in the last week. Duh._

"Yeah…"

"So…all those times I was running around trying to figure out what he wanted, you could've just told me, but you didn't?"

_Oh. Oops._

"Um…" Cormac and Cora were there by then, and they both tried pushing Connor to the backyard. "Sorry?" she tried.

"You Ford's really _are_ trying to kill me…"


	3. Chapter 3: Colin

**CHAPTER THREE: COLIN**

"It's only because we love you!" Uncle C yelled back before Kira swung the door shut on them.

"It's not like it's _bad_ advice," he said defensively.

_It's not even advice really. Just a friendly command, uncle to niece, employer to employee._

"You don't have to justify it to _me_ honey."

"Yeah I know," he said as he pulled out of the driveway. "But I still think it's a bad idea for a couple to baby-sit together."

"You're preaching to the choir."

"Yeah I know, but-wait. You said you didn't mind if the two of them are here together all night."

"That's why I called Ethan first," she explained. "I gave him an extra twenty to make sure Connor and Kira don't do anything."

He glanced at her before turning back to look at the road. "You know, that's kind of genius."

"Thank you," she said matter of factly. "Besides, I remember what happened the last time _we_ baby-sat together," she said slyly.

"Oh yeah. Wait…when was this?"

"The last time we watched Kira."

"Oh yeah. Wait…what happened?"

"Cormac!"

"Oh yeah!"

"Oh my goodness…"

"It's not my fault! It's this old brain of mine!"

"You're thirty one."

"Don't rub it in," he said grumpily as they pulled into a parking spot in front of the restaurant and hotel they were going to. "Besides," he said, leaning over to kiss her. "You're in your thirties now too."

"Not until tomorrow!" she replied, acting offended.

Laughing, they walked into the restaurant together.

"Hello, I have reservations for Ford," Colin said to the hostess.

"Oh, yes! Of course!" she said hastily. "We're ready for you! Right this way!"

_Oh yeah because that wasn't totally obvious. I hope Kim didn't notice._

"What was that about?" she muttered to him as they walked to the back where the party room was located.

_What was I thinking?! Of course she noticed! Who _wouldn't_ notice! Aw well…better just blow it off. _He shrugged.

"Beats me. I guess she's just excited to be here today."

_Please don't give anything away! I told them when I reserved the room that it was a surprise! Please let this go well!_

"You know," Colin said, trying to distract his wife. "I think it's Kira's fault."

"It's Kira's fault that the workers here are so cheerful? Ok, this one I have to hear…" she teased him.

"I mean it's her fault Cormac's deaf. If you hadn't been around her so much when you were pregnant…" he trailed off as they approached the door.

"Oh, yeah," she agreed sarcastically. "You're right. Totally Kira's fault."

He stepped ahead of her to hold the door open.

"SURPRISE!"

**REVIEW. NOW.**


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